Interview with Lead Designer Akil “Lyndro” Hooper on Game Update 63: SKYSHRINE

Lyndro-EQ2 wrote:

Lyndro, you know I respect you from days of olde. I desperately do not want to put words in your mouth, but the way this reads you do not seem to want people to advance if they have not done the Heroic content. Surely a game such as this, which supports and celebrates all playstyles, can't mean to do that?
My main, who I have played since launch, has only 171AA. Like Cloudrat I did a lot of content before AA's were introduced and there's no way to go back and get those now.

I'm in favor of the requirement of 280 AAs to level past 90. I'm a casual player as well. Over the years I've managed to level up six characters to level 90. For full disclosure, here's a breakout of their AA situation right now:

Coercer - 320
Berserker - 246
Assassin - 245
Templar - 196
Troubador - 164
Warlock - 159

As you can see, getting to level 90, for me, was considerably easier than maxing out AAs. I've been playing my Coercer for most of DoV and have recently busted out the WD-40 and wiped the dust off of my tank and am working on him now as well.

Under the old system, leveling up the additional 2 levels would have been a snap. But then, when people started to hit the new zones, they'd potentially be smacked in the face by zones that were perceived to be to difficult. But are they really too difficult or are they just designed for players with upgraded spells and more AAs? That can make a big difference in how tough a zone is perceived. This doesn't do anything about gear or spell level but it at least gives the indication that character has access to the end line heroic AA abilities.

For those that think this is too rough a requirement, what were you going to do with the extra two levels anyway? If you were playing with so few AAs that getting to 280 is going to be a burden, you wouldn't have been able to do the new instances anyway (I assume) even if you did reach 92.

From what it sounds like, this doesn't prevent someone that is level 90 from going into the new zones. But it gives a very easy way to see whether they really SHOULD be going to those zones. If you and your friends/group/guildmates decide to head in anyway, great. I love going into zones I have no business in and seeing what I can pull off. But it also gives a clear, easy to understand indication of who the zone is designed for. If you go in without a full group of level 92 characters, nobody is going to listen to the complaint that the zone is too hard and should be toned down, nor should they. And if you DO go in with a full group of level 92 characters and still think the zone is too hard and should be toned down, there is a higher chance that at least a few people might actually listen (although I'm sure plenty will still tell you to learn how to play in as un-helpful a manner as possible).

Hopefully this will survive the wrath of the casual playerbase (of which I am a member) and get implemented as described. I'm going to have to work on the AAs on my tank but he needs them pretty bad anyway if I want to run him through Drunder which is next on his list.

Calthine wrote:

I'm confused. Heroic endlines means you have enough AAs to likely buy one of the final AAs in the heroic tree. What does that have to do with the tier of content you've achieved?
I am strictly casual, have made it through all of 2 DoV dungeons, and have 300+ aas on my main lvl 90 character. "Heroic endline" does not mean "have done heroic content" like you seem to think.

Cloudrat wrote:

AAs came out with KoS on 21 February 2006, over six years ago. That was LU20. We're now talking about GU63. If my math is correct there have been more HQs added with and since KoS than were in the game before it came out (and that's counting the Coldain Insignia Ring as one, not multiple quests).
You honestly think there hasn't been enough new quest content added to the game in six years to get 280 AAs without name chasing and Hole grinding?

When I read this about the forthcoming Game Update 63 I was quite excited:
{snip from another thread}
-------------------------------------------------------
Destiny of Velious Content Updates Include: *

• Level cap raised to 92
• Withered Lands outdoor zone with over 100 quests and solo, small group, and raid content
• Play YOUR way in Skyshrine instances with solo, normal and challenge group modes

--------------------------------------------------------
I do raid but most of my adventuring is done in small groups - that's how I like to play. Once the DoV overland quest lines are finished there is not much to do other than the heroic instances so I was looking forward to the new content. Not only am I deeply disappointed about a minimum AA requirement to level past 90 I am also somewhat surprised. When DoV first came out there was a minimum crit mit requirement for ToFS SC - this was quickly dropped to enable more players to experience the zone. Other zones followed suit. So why go back to having prerequisites that penalise the casual player?
Like Cloudrat and Calthine several of my toons were created way back when and did a lot of the content before the introduction of AAs and cannot go back and retrospectively get the AA points. And yes, each of them has quested their way through each of the expansions since KoS.

Dethdlr@Butcherblock wrote:

Well gee, I was planning on playing the new solo content that is intended for level 91-92.
That's fine if some people love the AA requirement. How about that become a requirement to enter group/raid instances instead of a requirement to block everyone from leveling past 90? Problem solved if this is being done with the intent of singling out people without a magical number of AAs when making pickup groups.

This feels like a bandaid to the issue every one has seen. There's simply too many AA and too wide a variance in how much people have. I'm happy something is being done to help normalize this. Having said that? This isn't the way to go. This is going to do much more harm then good. Really. Please don't hand us the Dark Elf Cure All Bandaid (100% of patients don't complain!) The player base knows there's a problem, you know there's a problem, this isn't the solution.

Valentina@Butcherblock wrote:

Hey, if I misread that I'd be happy.

For the record, you DO NOT have to be past level 90 to go into withered lands so you will be able to enjoy the solo content as you wish. If that is all you want to do is enjoy the solo content, then why are you getting upset with not being able to level past 90 because you don't have the AA's? Not trying to bash anyone and I am sorry if I "upset" anyone earlier with my opinion.

Cyliena wrote:

Now darn it, I was all happy with my opinion and you had to go ruin it with logic. /pout
That's a good point. If the new solo questlines are designed for levels 91-92, doesn't that kind of hose people who do them before they have 280 AAs?
I don't like the idea of preventing people from zoning in anywhere unless they meet a magic number. But I did like the idea of not being able to level up past 90 until you reached that magic number. Until you had to mess it up with your facts and logic. Big meanie.

Calthine wrote:

Since he was talking about 'heroic endlines' in direct correlation to the # of aas, I think it's likely

Valentina@Butcherblock wrote:

I'm not even sure why having heroic AA endlines has anything to do with allowing people to reach 91 & 92 for prestige talents. Xelgad pointed out that prestige AAs aren't intended to be OP and definitely not intended to be as powerful as heroic AAs. So why do we need 280 to reach 91 to get the less powerful prestige AAs?

With 286 AAs (yay got one a bit ago!), I have yet to put a point into the Heroic AA endlines. So just because someone has 280+ AAs could fail to meet Lyndro's standard of "because you have your heroic endlines at that point". I *could* have them, but I don't, and frankly, they're the lowest on my AA priority list.

Lyndro-EQ2 wrote:

All I can say is thank you. To all the arguments that leveling super fast, yea, peeps can, but they also have the right to move the bar to get aa. New requirement for getting into a raid guild. lvl 91. I am so glad this cap is going in. Thank you

Piestro wrote:

The message I heard was, don't play our game unless you are a min/maxer with max everything. Limiting advancement over 90 to 280 AA is a cheap shot to a lot of folks out there, WHEN THERE IS NOTHING IN GAME THAT EVEN SUGGESTS a 90/80aa isn't ok, except raiders.
Not to mention that the quests in the Withered lands give less than 0.5% xp per turn in. What a joke this is gonna be, you guys just do not learn and keep listening to the raider/min/maxer and you continue to lose gamers.
[Edited for trolling.]

I think this is a great idea. Might get people off their butts from thinking they can just buy gear to be powerful. Might get more people out doing the actual content so they can earn those AAs so they can then go on to level past 90. Great idea. You will see more people doing more content as a result.

CoLD MeTaL wrote:

The default AA slider position says 90/80 isn't OK. How difficult the content is at 90/80 also suggests so. No, there isn't a big neon sign telling you that 90/80 won't work out for you, but there are a reasonable indicators that it doesn't work.
The quests in the Withered Lands don't give fewer xp than any other 90ish zones. They should be a good way to get AAs for those that are still short. Getting to 92 might not happen without some effort though.
It is funny how they've painted themselves into the prestige talent corner by attaching the 20 AA to AoD. There is a lot of bad management going on with the game, but a 280AA pre-requisite for level 91+ is not that big of a deal compared to making sure that all DoV 2011 content doesn't matter.

Lyndro-EQ2 wrote:

280 feels a little low but I guess it is okay.. I was kind of hoping the minimum would be --->300<--- and truly mean a player played the game, right now I currently have 5 characters at over 300 plus AA

Calthine wrote:

AA doesn't require heroic content only that you play the game, DOV faction quests usto give 1AA point plus a day and they were solo-able without a merc or group, quests and names all give AA and bonus XP weekends give great AA to

@ Lyndro-EQ2
Can we please get some bonus XP weekends so some people can catch up in AA

CoLD MeTaL wrote:

If you are low on AA no wonder why you are always complaining about the difficulty of advanced lvl 90 content.
Needing 280AA in order to progress to lvl 91 and above is a wonderful thing. Then content can actually be design assuming a min amount of character abilities are present. Getting 280 AA isnt a difficult thing what so ever honestly.

There it is. I knew someone was going to ask for double experience before it was all said and done.
EDIT: I understand you may not be asking for yourself but I was waiting for someone to eventually ask for it.

I see the logic behind the 280 requirement in that it absolutely delineates the relatively hardcore from the more casual and allows for designing encounters to two tiers of players, but is adding such a bar in the interest of the community after JUST taking out another (CM)? It's a simple matter of checking a character's stats online now before a PuG or PuR.
In addition, are the quest rewards for Skyshrine content level 91/92? If so, I'd think there would be less appeal to more casual players to doing this content, for rewards they'll stick in the bank against the day they can maybe use them. Even if they're not, won't this just produce this issue down the line in further updates/expansions if the requirement stands?
A more reasonable mechanism would seem to be departing from the 5 points per level to a parallel point tracking system in which one could level as usual, but not earn prestige until they have 280 AA, at which point XP goes to AA and an equivalent amount goes to prestige. Everyone can level and use 'current' items, but only those with high AA will have access to prestige bonuses.

2 cp